A New World || The Home I Never Saw

"Welcome Home, Venus."

The bright red sun boasts through the small, circular window, filling the petite room with a warm, blinding, ray of light as I lay there peacefully in my warm bunk and my plain gray blanket floating just a few inches above my head.

I open my eyes to see my room for the 5478th time in my 15 years of life. Swiftly, I lazily marched over to the window to stare out into the vast darkness referred to as outer space.

Millions of white and golden specks fill the distance, trying to seem less empty yet, It only shows just how empty space truly is. I change into my uniform, a simple gray tee with a pair of boots and sweatpants, and I walk out into the main decks of the ship.

"Venus! There's my baby!" shouted the sweet, loving voice of my mother as she pranced over to me and gave me a big warm embrace.

"Good waking, mother" I replied in a happy tone.

My mother looks into my eyes and smiles for a brief moment before speaking once again."Happy birthday, as of this waking, you are finally 15. You've spent your whole life in space and have never seen your home planet Earth. The crew and I would like to take you home to Earth and introduce you to the stories we've told you."

I froze in shock. I could go see Earth for the very first time, understand what it means to be human- But would I fit in? Or would I be outcasted like a freak? In the end, it's my choice, I can either choose to stay here where there's nothing new waiting for me, or I could go to the planet of my people and learn the cultures, languages, lands, and that think mom calls a government, whatever that is.

"I want to learn and see our people, mom. I want to know what it means to be a human being." I stuttered, "I'm ready."

Mother smiled at me once more and gleefully pranced away to her station, navigation. The large green hologram in the center of the room flashed on, displaying the changes for the path that were being made while a sweet human-like robotic voice speaks the changes "Course to XZ-076T canceled, heading home to planet Earth. Approximately 2,984,023 light-years away, or 72 wakings, 72 human days at maximum speed."

Fear and excitement flooded my mind, and considering we've been heading away from Earth for over 15 years, it's surprising the trip to return at maximum speed from nearly 2,000,000 light-years away is only 72 wakings.

"Venus," mother walked up to me and tapped my shoulder, "Miranda has offered to spend time with you each waking to teach you about Earth and what you can expect on it. Is this okay with you?"

I turned to her and hugged her tightly, "It's more than okay," I sighed before running over to Miranda, who was standing just a few feet away from the hologram with her arms crossed and a sweet and bold smirk on her face.

I hugged her tightly and refused to let go for a good 20 or 30 seconds, eventually, I finally murmured, "Thank you so much, I want to learn it all! Please don't hold back with any of the subjects,"

Miranda pat my head twice and motioned for me to follow her, leading me into the meeting deck. "Our first lesson will be about the sciences of Earth. This includes gravity, life, reproduction, chemical and physical reactions, and many ideas and terms you haven't heard of."

Miranda had turned on the miniature hologram screen which displayed words reading 'What is gravity and what does it do?' Miranda looked at me, "Venus," she began to converse, "I want you to read everything that displays on the screen,"

I nodded in confirmation and began reading aloud, "Gravity is the force that attracts everything toward the center of the Earth, or any other physical body having mass."

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After about 3 or 4 hours had passed, I finished reading about 5 or 6 books, science, language, history, government and politics, and a book or two about psychology.

Every waking, after eating breakfast, Miranda would start the lessons. Each time it got more boring than the previous time. 70 wakings passed, and we were finally in the Milky Way. My lessons had finished and I had learned so much, and it was finally about to pay off.

I stared outside the windows observing the new territory, "You see that one, the pale, peachy planet," my mother had muttered.

I nodded and began to gaze at it. "That's Venus, the planet I named you after."

I kept my eyes on the planet. "It... It's so pretty," I yawned, being interrupted by my gargling tummy.

"I think that means it's time to go see what Miranda and Joseph have cooked up for dinner," mother chuckled and we began to head to the mess hall where Miranda, Joseph, Ross, Alex, and my father were all standing around the small bench.

"I know this isn't much," Miranda exclaimed, "But we tried our best to make a meal inspired by the food you would see on Earth,"

I smiled and walked up to her and hugged her before going to everyone else and hugging them as well. "Thank you all so much for this, and thank you for the gift of taking me to see Earth," I shouted and rushed over to the table to sit. "What are you waiting for? Let's eat!"

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Two wakings pass, I'm laying on my bunk imagining what Earth will be like. Suddenly, the ship shakes and I begin to hear a loud, dragged out, whooshing sound.

I stand up quickly and rush to my window to look outside - we've entered Earth's atmosphere, we're descending rapidly.

I run out of my room and rush over to my parent's room to wake them. "Mom! Dad! We're on Earth! We're here!" My mother rises to her feet swiftly and charges to the main deck.

"Wake everyone up and get them in here. Use the intercom, ASAP," she yelled at the top of her lungs.

I stumbled over to the coms and began to speak, "Code E, I repeat, code E, entering planet Earth, please quickly and quietly come onto the main deck! I repeat, please quickly and quietly come onto the main deck!"

Shortly after, Miranda, Joseph, Ross, and my father all ran out and immediately buckled into their stations. All I remember following that was blacking out, then opening my eyes to see we had landed.

I quickly rushed to the open door and stepped out, taking my first breath of air and seeing hundreds or thousands of humans staring at me in disbelief.

"Is that her? The girl born on the shuttle?" I heard multiple voices mumble and shout.

My mother slowly walked up to me and whispered, "Welcome home, Venus."